Los Angeles Rams Weekly

L.A. Rams trade up to acquire No. 1 pick from Titans
In a stunning move that shakes up the top of the draft and almost ensures that the Rams will be starting a rookie quarterback in 2016, the Tennessee Titans traded the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NFL Draft to the Los Angeles Rams, both teams announced Thursday morning.

The Rams, previously selecting at No. 15, are one of the lowest-picking team in NFL history to trade up to the No. 1 spot. The move, however, did not come cheap.

It is essentially the Rams' karmic payback for fleecing the Redskins back in 2012 for a treasure trove of picks that led to the selection of Robert Griffin III. The terms are as follows: Tennessee gets: Rams' first-round pick (2016), two second-round picks (2016), a third-round pick (2016), a first-round pick (2017) and another third-round pick (2017).

Rams get: Titans' first-overall pick (2016), a fourth-round pick (2016) and a sixth-round pick (2016).

The acquisition has to be seen as a coup for new Titans general manager Jon Robinson. Already equipped with his quarterback of the future -- Marcus Mariota -- there were needs across the board that can now be addressed immediately. This year's draft has been viewed as one of the deepest for certain positions in half a decade, and the Titans now have the chance to fill several holes instead of one.

The Rams, on the other hand, are taking a gigantic risk. Prepping for the first season in Los Angeles, the team wanted to arrive on scene with a new face of the franchise. It is almost a guarantee that the Rams will end up with either Carson Wentz or Jared Goff. NFL Media's Albert Breer reported the Rams already have conducted on-campus workouts with both quarterbacks. They likely made the move fearing that the quarterback-needy Browns would take their preferred choice at No. 2.

"It is not often that you have the number one overall pick and we hope to not be in this position again, but we tried to use that pick as currency to work the draft and maximize player acquisition," Robinson said in a statement. "Being able to acquire six picks in the top 76 this year and additional picks next year, not only helps our depth but gives us ammunition to move in this year's draft and next. I know we now have the number 15 pick, but I would say it doesn't knock us out of any player except one. We now have the ammunition to work the draft and acquire players that are good for this football team. In terms of timing, it made sense for us to do this now as it gives us time to adjust and make sure we target more players."

This is the seventh time since 1990 that the No. 1 pick has been traded. The last? In 2004, when the Chargers dealt Eli Manning to the Giants.

This is also the most lucrative draft deal since the 2012 RGIII trade, which netted the Rams a bedrock of franchise players.

The Rams have now truly engrained themselves in Hollywood -- so it goes with an aggressive owner in a new market with a team that has not had a winning record since 2003 or a playoff appearance since 2004. The team is also participating in HBO's training camp series, Hard Knocks, this August in an effort to drum up interest and acquire new fans in Los Angeles.

The last time the Rams attempted to select a quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick, they ended up with Sam Bradford. At the time, Bradford was viewed as a can't-miss prospect and one of the cleanest quarterbacks to hit the draft since John Elway. Bradford finished his tenure in St. Louis with an 18-30-1 record, a 58.6 completion percentage, 11,065 passing yards, 59 touchdowns and 38 interceptions.

Along with Bradford, the Rams have also started Nick Foles, Case Keenum, Austin Davis, Shaun Hill, Kellen Clemens and A.J. Feeley in that timespan.

The deal creates plenty of questions moving forward and shatters just about every mock draft in progress. Among the most interesting storylines:

» What does this mean for the Browns? There was a sense that Cleveland was also interested in one of the top two quarterback prospects. New head coach Hue Jackson and offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton were a heavy presence at both pro day workouts. The Browns, oddly enough, signed Robert Griffin III this offseason just in case. Also, new Browns executive Sashi Brown said there was significant interest in the No. 2 pick. Did the Rams try them first? After this trade, is there any interest remaining?

» Are the Chargers, Cowboys, Jaguars and Ravens celebrating right now? If the Browns also select a quarterback atop the draft, there is a chance that some excellent positional players slip down into the top 10 in a trickledown effect that could net these teams some players of desperate need.

» Are we underestimating the Titans moving forward? Tennessee just struck gold, but as we saw from the Rams-Redskins trade in 2012, there is still a chance to miss on a bevy of high picks. Still, Robinson gets the No. 15 overall selection in this year's draft and, at the moment, two first-round picks in next year's draft. He has three second-round picks and two thirds this year, too.

"We wanted to maximize the value of the pick for a long time, I've talked about that for a long time," Robinson said. "To be able to take that pick and use it for what we thought was the best decision for the football team and to acquire that many players and give us the ammunition to move up and down in the draft I would say it doesn't knock us out of moving back up in the first round. Obviously knocks us out of one player but only one player."


Robinson said discussions for the No. 1 pick began at the NFL Scouting Combine but "heated up" over the last several weeks. It seems like he finally got an offer he couldn't refuse.

Winners and Losers from Rams-Titans trade

Two weeks before the 2016 NFL Draft, the Los Angeles Rams have already made their biggest move. The Rams' bold trade up to the No. 1 overall pick on Thursday morning will give L.A. a new face of the franchise.

While we wait to find out who exactly that turns out to be, let's break down some winners and losers from Thursday's massive deal.

Winners
Les Snead and Jeff Fisher: Sure, the Rams gave up a lot. It added up to two first-round picks, two second-round picks and two third-round picks. And it will all be worth it if the Rams finally find a true starting quarterback. Snead and especially Fisher were working on borrowed time in Los Angeles. Fisher was the first coach since Dave Shula with the 1996 Bengals to get a fifth season as a head coach following four straight losing years.

The Rams are under pressure to win now despite just moving across the country and being stuck in the NFC West with two of the best teams in the NFL. Drafting Carson Wentz (or Jared Goff) No. 1 overall could buy Snead and Fisher time. If the rookie quarterback looks promising in year one, the Rams are going to err on the side of continuity even if they pull off yet another 7-9 record.

The Rams' ticket office: Todd Gurley and Aaron Donald are great young players. But nothing will help sell excitement and give the Rams' new fan base in Los Angeles hope more than a No. 1 overall pick at quarterback. It was always slightly preposterous to imagine Case Keenum as the Week 1 starting quarterback of any team, much less a team just moving to Los Angeles.

Kobe Bryant: NFL Media columnist Michael Silver reported that the terms to this deal was agreed to Wednesday. But Fisher knew that Wednesday night was officially Mamba Day in Los Angeles, so the team held off on announcing the deal until Thursday. That's some next level new neighbor stuff.

Titans general manager Jon Robinson: Yes, both general managers can be winners in a deal this big. Tennessee certainly has the safer side of the trade. Robinson picked up an extra first-round pick next year, two second-round picks and two third-round picks. The Titans have their franchise quarterback in Marcus Mariota. They have a capable left tackle in Taylor Lewan. They are much better off rebuilding their thin depth chart with a bounty of picks.

The NFL draft is inherently impossible. A good success rate is hitting on half your picks. This allows Robinson more swings at the plate and he will be able to find more Pro Bowlers this way than just relying on a No. 1 overall pick.

Marcus Mariota: This trade almost makes up for the underwhelming reality that the Titans kept Mike Mularkey to guide the beginning of Mariota's career.

Carson Wentz and Jared Goff: It would be stunning if the Rams don't take a quarterback No. 1 overall. Carson Wentz is the odds-on favorite, although the Rams could also take Goff. Whoever gets drafted will make more money as the No. 1 overall pick. More importantly, they will be in a far better position for success buoyed by the excellent Rams defense.

The Browns remain strong candidates to take a quarterback at No. 2. No matter what quarterback goes first, the second quarterback should come off the board faster now. It would be a surprise if the second quarterback gets past the No. 4 overall pick.

Hard Knocks: It's not like NFL Films needed more storylines with the Rams moving to Los Angeles. But adding the No. 1 overall pick, especially if it's a great story like Wentz rising all the way from North Dakota, should make HBO's Hard Knocks -- the best reality show in television history -- even better.

Todd Gurley: Opponents knew what was coming last season when the Rams lined up on offense. A No. 1 overall pick at quarterback gives Gurley a better chance to eventually be supported by a real passing game.

Losers
Case Keenum, Nick Foles, and Sean Mannion: Foles' time in Los Angeles was always going to be short. Now it would be a surprise if he was on the team by this time next month. Mannion was the team's third-round pick last year and won't get a real chance to start on his rookie contract. Keenum faced the biggest setback of the three.

The Rams talked up Keenum all offseason as a good option to start Week 1. NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Thursday that Keenum could still start over a No. 1 overall pick, but that's what teams always say in the offseason. They won't want to put undo pressure on a rookie, but it's hard to imagine Keenum winning the job in a fair competition. It's even harder to imagine Keenum taking the first snaps in Los Angeles.

Keenum has already overachieved by earning 15 starts in his four-year career. He doesn't have great tools, but his aggressiveness has worked out well in his young career. There are worse things to be than a backup quarterback to a young star, but this move certainly has to sting Keenum.

Draft night drama: The biggest possible draft trade has already happened. It was a thrilling, shocking way to wake up on a day that was supposed to be highlighted by the 2016 NFL schedule release. Now attention turns to whether any team will trade up for the second quarterback.

Cleveland Browns: We will never know whether the Rams stole Cleveland's top choice. Assuming the Browns stay at No. 2, they will say they always ranked that player as their top option. But the Browns are absolutely in the market for a franchise quarterback and we think they'd be crazy not to take one while they are this high in the draft. Now the Browns are bystanders and are at the mercy of what the Rams want to do ahead of them.

Laremy Tunsil: The Ole Miss tackle had a good chance to go No. 1 overall when Tennessee was on top of the board. That's not going to happen now.

San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles: The 49ers desperately need a franchise quarterback and they were in solid position to draft one or trade up for one from the No. 7 overall pick. That will be a lot tougher to pull off now, and it is hard to imagine Goff or Wentz slipping out of the top four.

The Eagles have also been working out the top quarterbacks and looked like a candidate to either trade back or make a big splash for a quarterback.


St. Louis Rams fan: This has been a brutal stretch for fans in St. Louis. Watching the franchise make such an exciting splash move as they move to their new city can't be easy. Then again, plenty of Rams fans from St. Louis are sticking with the team. And the ones that aren't only have to remember Sam Bradford to realize that having No. 1 overall pick at quarterback doesn't guarantee anything.


Nine draft selections were exchanged in Thursday's trade that sent the 2016 No. 1 overall pick to the Los Angeles Rams
TITANS GET RAMS GET
'16 1st (15th overall) '16 1st (1st overall)
'16 2nd (43) '16 4th (113)
'16 2nd (45) '16 6th (177)
'16 3rd (76)
'17 1st-round pick
'17 third-round pick


Rams Trade Up to Number One Overall Pick | ESPN
The Rams make the move to pick first overall

Adam Schefter Reports that the Rams are Leaning Towards Goff | ESPN
ESPN's Adam Schefter believes the Rams are leaning towards Cal QB, Jared Goff

Conflicting Reports on Who Rams are Targeting | NBC Sports
There are conflicting reports on who the Rams are eyeing.  Some say Goff, others say Wentz

An Argument of Why the Trade is a Good Gamble | About.com
Our Tevin Broner breaks down why he believes this deal is a "smart gamble" from Snisher for a Franchise QB

Whoever the Pick is, Expect to Pay More | Fox Business
Fox breaks down the income tax discrepancy between St. Louis and Los Angeles for the first overall pick

Deadspin Breaks Down Why the Rams Made the Deal | Deadspin
Mainly the deal was made due to "selfish interests" according to Deadspin

NFL Players React to Rams Deal | Fox Sports
Other players in the league react to the trade that shook up the NFL Draft

The TSTers Share Their Thoughts on the Deal | Turf Show Times
The Turf Show Times contributors share their thoughts on the trade (no one really likes it)

What the Trade Means for the Rest of the NFL | ESPN
Bill Barnwell breaks down what the trade does to the rest of the league (somehow the Browns lose most?)

Grading the Swap with Charts | ESPN
ESPN's stats guys break down the trade via 3 different ways including the Jimmy Johnson Chart

Mel Kiper Breaks Down Some Takeaways from the Trade | ESPN Insider
Mel Kiper breaks down the trade, with the biggest takeaway being that both QBs may not be ready for Week 1

The Rams Show Respect to Kobe | GQ
The Rams and Titans actually completed their trade before Kobe's last game

Prospect Comparison: Jared Goff vs Carson Wentz.
The debate over who the best quarterback in the 2016 draft class is has been going on for months. It seemed like a no-doubter that it was Jared Goff until NFL Network’s Mike Mayock fell in love with Carson Wentz. Ever since then, the NFL draft scouting community has gone back and forth on them.

After the combine, tell me who just had their Pro Day and I’ll tell you who’s leading this thing. So I went back and compare their tape since that’s what tells you the most about what a prospect is. Then I put that together with every single factor I could find to try to figure this thing out.
Physical attributes: Wentz
When judging the physical attributes of the two quarterbacks, it starts when you first look at them. Wentz is 6’5″, 235 pounds with a big arm and very athletic, running a 4.77 40 at the NFL Scouting Combine. Then there’s the all-important hand measurement, where he came in with 10-inch hands.

Also at the combine, he showed his agility, running through the 3-cone drill in 6.86 seconds. He’s from a pro style offense with a few Spread Offense plays to take advantage of his athleticism. So while he’s mainly a prototypical drop-back passer, you can call him a running quarterback as well.

Goff is 6’4″, 215 pounds, which is a little on the slight size for a quarterback in today’s game. He will need to gain a good 20 pounds in order to take the pounding he’ll get standing in the pocket. Goff is a good athlete but not quite the athlete Wentz is, running a 4.82 40 and a 7.17 3-cone drill.


The Bear Raid Offense Goff ran in college had a lot of pro concepts to it in the passing game. But like the Spread Offense, he was always in the shotgun and ran the option out of that formation. Like Wentz, Goff has a big arm but doesn’t quite have the arm strength Wentz has.
Both quarterbacks were given a lot of responsibilities at the line of scrimmage in college so that’s even. That brings us to the ability to throw the ball down the field and handle pressure from the pass rush. Those are two of the most important things a quarterback has to do to be successful in the NFL.

While Wentz looks awesome in t-shirts and shorts, Goff has shown he’s good in both areas in games. Pro Football Focus rates Goff No. 6 in accuracy rate under pressure and No. 7 in accuracy percentage on deep passes in this draft class. Meanwhile Wentz is rated No. 29 on deep passes (20+ yards) and No. 27 in accuracy percentage when pressured.

This is because Goff is much more polished, keeping his feet pumping in the pocket like Aaron Rodgers. That keeps him ready to release the ball quicker plus he’s more elusive in the pocket, and processes what he sees faster. So it is easy to see why he handles the rush and can repair a broken play more often.


Goff doesn’t have Wentz’ arm but it’s good enough and with his accuracy, he throws a better deep ball. The ability to throw the deep ball is important because NFL defensive coordinators will take the short pass away. And handling the rush is important because they will test a young quarterback with blitzes.
Production: Goff
Goff owns the statistical and production advantage in this comparison and it’s not close at all. In 2015, Goff broke the Pac-12 record for passing yards and Marcus Mariota’s touchdown pass record. In this magical season, Goff completed 65 percent of his passes for 4,717 yards, 43 TDs and a whopping 8.9 yards per attempt.

Wentz, against his 1AA competition in seven games, completed 63 percent of his passes for 1,651 yards, 17 touchdowns and 7.9 yards per attempt. Wentz’ production doesn’t even come close to Goff’s if you project his per game numbers over 14 games. And let’s not forget Goff did his damage in a Power-5 conference with less talent on his side than the competition.

In his three years at Cal, Goff broke Pac-12 career records with an average of 326.6 yards of total offense per game. He ranks third all-time in Pac-12 history with three seasons of 3,000 or more total yards.  He was also the first Cal quarterback to earn first-team All-Pac-12 honors since Rodgers in 2004.


In comparison, Wentz only has two years as a starter, throwing for 5,115 yards with 51 TD passes. He has a career-high of 335 passing yards in a game where Goff averaged 330 yards per game in his career. So while playing against so-so competition, a career day for Wentz was an average day for Goff.
Intangibles: Goff
The intangibles of a quarterback are the just as important if not more important than the skill-set is. Quarterbacks are leaders of men so of all the intangibles, toughness is the most important one. With the beating quarterbacks take in today’s game, that’s what’s going to keep you on the field.

Goff, a 2-time team captain, has played with things like a separated shoulder on his throwing arm. He never missed a start, playing in all of his team’s games three years in a row. In Wentz’ two years as a starter, he played in all of his teams games just once, missing eight starts.

For Goff, that toughness extends to the mental toughness it takes to turn a program around. Goff led Cal to a 7-win turnaround over his last two seasons from a 1-11 record in 2013 to an 8-5 mark in 2015. That mark is good for second best in school history behind an 8-win improvement from a 2-10 mark in 1946 to a 10-1 record in 1948.


Meanwhile, Goff stepped in to run an already well-oiled machine and simply didn’t ruin it. North Dakota won the FCS five years in a row, starting well before Wentz became the starter there. Wentz already doesn’t handle it well when things break down so we don’t know how he’ll handle playing on a bad team.
Bottom line
Wentz looked awesome at his Pro Day and in the Underwear Olympics (NFL Souting Combine). All NFL Draft expert Mike Mayock could say about Wentz was how he had the best Pro Day he had ever seen. Mayock actually said that back in 2007 about Jamarcus Russell while quarterback guru Jon Gruden described it as “Star Wars”

But all that is without receivers being covered and d-lineman trying to sack him or force an errant throw. And things are done way faster in the NFL than they are done at divisions like the FCS. Wentz test better athletically and shows off his rocket-arm when throwing in to uncovered receivers in drills.

Meanwhile Goff is more elusive in the pocket, evading the rush better and drops accurate deep balls between defenders. Goff has also shown the ability to hang in there tough and make make his team better over the years. We can’t say we know Wentz can do that because in college, the way was already made for him.

And despite Wentz being the bigger man Goff has been more durable in a more physical division.


Therefore, the better prospect is Goff.

Stedman Bailey posts video of himself running routes.

Back in November, Rams wide receiver Stedman Bailey was shot twice in the head -- a horrifying event that left him in intensive care for roughly a month. Since then, Rams head coach Jeff Fisher has maintained that any NFL future is secondary to a recovery, and that he hopes Bailey can get himself to a point where he's healthy.

On Tuesday, Bailey posted a video of himself running routes in Los Angeles.


Bailey, a 2013 third-round pick out of West Virginia, is not giving up on an NFL comeback despite the mountain of detractors in his path. There is no medical precedent for playing after such a traumatic incident, but Bailey's Instagram remains a hype channel for his progress.

He also posted this training video a week ago.


It really is incredible to see how far he's come in less than six months. To imagine where Bailey was emotionally back in November compared to now is pretty amazing. Even if he never makes it back, he made it so much farther than anyone could have imagined. At the moment, he is still on the Rams' roster.

Ex-Browns safety Donte Whitner visiting Rams

Donte Whitner was worried that his late release from Cleveland would jam up his chances of landing a fair deal in free agency.

But at least he's getting some interest.

The 30-year-old, three-time Pro Bowler is visiting with the Rams this week, according to NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport. Pro a Football Talk first reported the development.

Whitner tweeted a photo of his boarding pass Sunday morning.
Los Angeles is still smarting after a free agent period that saw them lose some key pieces in the secondary. At the moment, T.J. McDonald, Cody Davis and Christian Bryant round out their safety corps.

If nothing else, Whitner is a versatile, experienced safety with some juice left in the tank. The Rams will have some interesting pieces to play with, especially if they continue to learn ways to utilize Mark Barron as a hybrid defender.

Whitner had more than 80 tackles in 2015 along with 1.5 sacks.
Here's the Rams' first regular season schedule since returning to LA.

Here's your official 2016 Regular Season Schedule for the Los Angeles Rams:
Week Date vs./@ Opponent Time (all times ET) TV
1 Mon., Sep. 12 @ San Francisco 49ers 10:20pm ESPN
2 Sun., Sep. 18 vs. Seattle Seahawks 4:05pm FOX
3 Sun., Sep. 25 @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4:05pm FOX
4 Sun., Oct. 2 @ Arizona Cardinals 4:25pm FOX
5 Sun., Oct. 9 vs. Buffalo Bills 4:25pm CBS
6 Sun., Oct. 16 @ Detroit Lions 1:00pm FOX
7 Sun., Oct. 23 vs.* New York Giants 9:30am NFL Network
8 BYE WEEK
9 Sun., Nov. 6 vs. Carolina Panthers 4:05pm FOX
10 Sun., Nov. 13 @ New York Jets 1:00pm FOX
11 Sun., Nov. 20 vs. Miami Dolphins 4:05pm FOX
12 Sun., Nov. 27 @ New Orleans Saints 1:00pm FOX
13 Sun., Dec. 4 @ New England Patriots 1:00pm FOX
14 Sun., Dec. 11 vs. Atlanta Falcons 4:25pm FOX
15 Thu., Dec. 15 @ Seattle Seahawks 8:25pm NBC/NFL
16 Sun., Dec. 24 vs. San Francisco 49ers 4:25pm FOX
17 Sun., Jan. 1 vs. Arizona Cardinals 4:25pm FOX


* - The Rams' game against the Giants will be played in London, England, October 23
A satirical look at more than 75 years of Football's Rams history, combined with discussions of American Exceptionalism and almost 50 years of personal experience in the life of a Rams Fan. The history parallels and intertwines life to form a humorous, yet serious look at American HistoryWorld History, an American Footballteam, and Political Science.